A Knock on the Door:
See I Told You
Ali Cherry
Sam picked up the phone in the busy campaign office. “Sam Seaborn.” Not really caring who was on the other line, he concentrated on the sentence in the President's speech that had been giving him problems for a while now.
“Sam?” Mallory's voice called to him from the forgotten phone.
“Mal. What can I do for you? Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I'm fine, honey. I just—when are you coming home?”
“Tomorrow. I'll be landing about three. Why?”
“I miss you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I'm fine. I just. . .“
“What?” Sam listened to the soft sigh on the other line, getting up, he slammed the door shut to his office and concentrated on the phone call. “You did the sigh thing, Mal, What's wrong? Is it your mom?”
“No, Mom's fine. She says hi.” Sam smiled knowing that Jenny McGarry probably meant 'I'll say hi to Sam when he's rotting in hell.'
“One of your students?”
“No, they're all fine, but we had a nasty bout of flu last week.”
“Has it worked its way through the classroom?”
“Yeah. It hit Brenda Peters twice, though.”
“Poor kid.”
“You say that now, but when she was taunting you at the assembly about being the White House Freak Man. . . “
“You bring that up every time. I'm sorry I ever said the Roosevelt Room was named after Franklin.” Sam took a sip of his water and waited patiently. The quiet on the line was soft, like their bedroom late at night when they both lay tangled in each other and listened to the gentle sounds of their breaths. “So what's wrong, Mal?”
“We're pregnant.”
“Oh no.” Sam could feel lunch turning over in his stomach.
“Oh yes.” She confirmed his…no more accurately Toby and Josh's and possibly CJ's worst nightmare.
“Not, Oh no, Oh no. Oh no.”
“That made no sense, Skipper.”
Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “There was a reason the office gave us a year worth of condoms, Mallory.”
“Yeah.”
“I don't suppose the Doctor knew how this had happened.”
“Well he didn't ask, so I think he assumes we did it the old fashioned way.”
Sam closed his water bottle and held it up to his head. The hot early April weather collected on the windows, and battered at the small air conditioning unit in the office. Sam felt the trickle of sweat roll down his back to collect where his pants met his skin.
“I meant, that we . . . well we used a condom.”
“Don't you read the statistics you write?”
“Occasionally.” Sam muttered, trying not to catch anyone's eye through the windows in his office.
“Ninety Nine Percent, Sam.”
“Okay.” Sam didn't know what else to say. They had a plan. They had a semi-appointment. He wrote it in his calendar. Kathy had seen it, but she hadn't made it. And she never mentioned it.
“I asked too.” Mallory said finally. “Doctor Simon called us lucky. Then he told me the due date and I knew that lucky wasn't the word.”
“Oh please don't tell me.”
“November 5. How patriotic.” Mallory mimed in a happy voice.
“They're going to kill us.”
“But we're lucky, Sam.”
“Are you really all right?”
“I'm fine, Sam. I'd just wish I could have told you here. Now you're going to be all distracted.”
“Now, why would I be distracted by the fact we're having a baby on Election night. The Senior Staff is going to kill me and offer my body to you as a sacrifice.”
“I think we'll be fine, Sam. The babies in my family have always been really late.”
“I was four weeks early, Mal.” Sam whined.
“See. We're all set then, this baby will be either really early or really late.”
“Let's hope that our timing doesn't balance out.”
“You know what, Sam. We kept our marriage fairly secretive for three months. We can do this.”
“We're going to hide your pregnancy?” Sam asked astonished.
“No. We're just going to formulate a plan.”
“We can do a plan.”
“Yeah. Just don't blow it around CJ or Dad today or tomorrow.”
“Speak of the devil.” Sam saw CJ heading directly toward his office.
“Who?”
“CJ.”
“Be calm, Sam.”
“I'm fine, Mallory.”
CJ opened the door and waved at him to get his attention. “Hey, Spanky. We're going home, there's a situation.”
“What did I do?” Sam asked in a panic.
“Not you, some Senator is making noise about something, we're heading back for damage control. The volunteers have it here.”
“Good. That's great. Did you hear that, Mal. I'll be home tonight.”
“I heard. I love you baby. I'm gonna hang up now.”
“Yeah, I love you sweetie. Get some rest.”
“Night Sam.” Sam heard the click in his ear and hung up his own phone saddened that the call ended.
“Is something wrong with Mallory?” CJ asked politely.
“No.” Sam answered quickly. “Why do you ask?”
“You just told her to get some rest.” CJ pointed out, wiping her hair away from her face.
“Oh, the flu is going around her class, I just didn't want her to catch it. Poor Brenda Peters had it twice.”
“Isn't she the girl that mocked you mercilessly?”
“Yes. Can we drop this?” Sam stood up and started throwing his paperwork and laptop in his bag.
“Is everything all right, Sam?” CJ took a seat and watched Sam's shaky movements. “I mean between Mallory and you.”
“Yeah, we're fine. She's still pretty perturbed at Toby though.”
CJ laughed. “She still upset over a Christmas Present.”
“Not just any Christmas Present. The only Christmas Present I wanted. And then I had to spend three days in the Christmas Spirit with her family, who is still wondering where the baby is.”
“What baby?” CJ asked suddenly all ears.
“The one Jenny told them was the reason that Mallory was marrying me.” Sam watched as CJ's face lit up with amusement.
“Ouch.”
“Mallory's Aunt Bridget told me she was sorry to hear about the miscarriage.” Sam shook his head. “Her family is insane.”
“Those are my relatives you're talking about Sam.” Leo smiled from the doorway.
“No your relatives are amusing, Mrs. McGarry's are just loons.”
“I never cared for Uncle Harold, myself.” Leo smiled with a wink, and then got serious. “You ready to leave?”
“Yeah.” Sam picked up his bags and grabbed his bottle of water, ready to leave.
@@
“See I told you.” Josh shouted as he paced the length of the oval office. “You, my friend have horrible timing.”
The rest of the staff sat looking stunned with the possible exception of Leo and the President, both who knew the night before. Leo touched the pocket watch in his hand, remembering Sam telling him its significance last night.
“This watch has been in my family for generations,” he had said, handing it to Leo with reverence. “When my grandfather died, it became mine; for me to give my dad when he became a grandfather. He died, so I'd like you to have it.”
Leo had looked at Mallory and Sam sitting together in a love seat, cuddled together, hands covering Mallory's stomach.
Mallory had looked at him and said softly, “We were lucky.” Sam had snorted and leaned his head back.
“When is the little bugger due?” Leo had had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“November 5.” Sam told him calmly.
Leo's eyebrows had risen and he just smiled enigmatically. “Well you certainly like a fight, son.”
Leo smiled now as Sam stood up. His face excited and nervously twitching. “I'm not going to discuss my marriage with you, Josh. This is a blessing, an unplanned blessing, but that's not the point.” Sam sighed. “Good or bad, I'm going to be a father, it can't be undone. So stuff it.”
The President intervened then, telling Sam softly, “This is a wonderful thing, Sam. You'll make a wonderful father.”
Sam nodded. Not quite believing the President's words about being a good father.
@@
Sam held on to Mallory's hand as they careened into the emergency room in some Podunk town in Nebraska. The EMTs were shouting her vitals at the doctors who hurried to direct Mallory's gurney to a room.
“Hi, my name's Dr. Carol. Can you tell me your name?” The woman asked listening to Mallory with half an ear, her attention diverted as she hooked Mallory up to various equipment.
“Mallory Seaborn. This is my husband Sam.”
“It's nice to meet you.” Sam said politely. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing's wrong, we just think she went into premature labor, we're going to do some tests, and then we'll give her something to stop the labor.”
“This is your fault.” Mallory accused with a smile, her face grimacing slightly with pain.
“Who is your doctor?” Dr. Carol asked.
“Dr. Buck Simon in Washington DC.” Mallory told her.
“Has this been a normal pregnancy?” The doctor asked conversationally.
“His name is Buck?” Sam asked a puzzled expression on his face.
“Sam, stay with me here.” Mallory sighed, gripping Sam's hand tighter. “The pregnancy part has been fine. There haven't been any complications.”
Everyone looked up as three men and two women came barreling through the door, with secret service trying to keep a head of them, trying to secure the facility.
“Is she all right?” Toby yelled at everyone in medical looking clothing.
“Where the hell is she?” Josh screamed.
“Mallory, you all right, baby?” Leo called to her, his eyes zeroing in on her from across the room.
“Yeah, I'm all right, daddy, but I think Sam needs some coffee and a chair. He's about to loose it.”
Toby and Josh both looked at each other and took off towards the coffee machines, while Kathy silent until now, moved to grab a chair for her boss.
“Hello, Doctor . . . “ The First Lady looked at tag. “. . .Carol. I'm Dr. Abigail Bartlet. Can I see her chart?” The Doctor handed over the chart she had just started, with numbness. Abby pulled her away to consult on various treatments, while Leo moved to his daughter's side.
“Hey, baby.”
“It's all his fault, dad. He was born a month early. Everyone in our family is late.”
“Yeah.” Leo looked across at his near comatose speechwriter. Sam had been working on polling numbers and six speeches while trying to take care of Mallory's cravings. He watched as Kathy patted Sam's cheek. Two days of pure caffeine and adrenaline had run it's course and Sam was ready to drop.
Josh and Toby came back with two cups of coffee but Sam was out, his head resting on Mallory's hospital bed, his hand still clutching at hers.
“Hey little one, your worrying your daddy and Uncle Josh and Toby to death. Be nice.” Mallory talked to her stomach, trying to ignore the quivering of the muscles there.
“Grandpa isn't doing to well either, baby.” Leo patted Mallory's swelled tummy gently.
“I'm not an Uncle Toby.”
“Yes, you are.” Josh told him, cuffing him lightly on the back.
“Who did we leave at the speech?” Leo asked suddenly.
“CJ.” Toby replied blandly.
“Donna.” Josh replied.
“Well since you aren't Uncle Toby do you want to get back and make sure President Bartlet doesn't do something stupid?”
“I'm Uncle Toby.” Toby settled his hand on Sam's shoulder.
Sam murmured, “I just gotta go get some marshmallow crème, be right back Toby.”
“Josh, go.” Leo commanded.
“But Leo. He's my best friend. I'm going to Godfather to this kid.”
“You'll kill her.” Sam murmured softly.
“I will not. Come on Sam tell me I can stay.” Josh shook Sam's arm lightly, to no avail.
Abby joined the group with a syringe in hand. “Mallory is going to be just fine.”
Josh took a look at the needle and turned green. “On second thought, I'll go make sure the President doesn't say something stupid.” Josh left the emergency at a run.
“Wimp.” Mallory complained as Abby inserted the needle into the IV.
@@
“And I'd like to thank my tireless staff who has worked so hard to bring our vision of America to . . . “
Sam smiled at Toby who stood next to him at the President's victory speech. They had made it. Despite the early start, they had won the Presidency for a second term. Now it was time to piss off everyone in Congress and show them how governing was supposed to be done. Sam felt the grip in his hand tighten suddenly, as Mallory doubled over.
“Mallory?” Sam leant down as Mallory groaned in frustration, a puddle of water gathering under her.
“I'm in labor, Sam.”
“Okay, so we know the plan.”
Sam started to lead her out of the ballroom, as they neared the door they heard the President exclaim, “Oh for crying out loud. I told you she was going to have her baby in the middle of the victory speech.”
“I told you he'd comment.” Mallory smiled at Sam as they crossed the threshold out of the ballroom and into the hallway, headed for their car.
“Toby's going to kill him and me.”
“Mrs. Seaborn? Right this way, we have a car waiting for you.” A secret service agent led the way out to a White House car, ready to take them to the hospital. “Your doctor has been notified.”
“Thank you.” Sam and Mallory said at the same time, climbing in the car.
@@
CJ stood in front of her podium and faced the twenty or so people who sat in the Press corps every day. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sam enter the Press Room and she smiled widely.
“Before we end, I thought you would all like to meet the newest member of our communications staff.” CJ motioned to Sam who stepped forward, carrying his four-month-old daughter.
“Some of you may remember Lexi's appearance during President Bartlet's victory speech. Alexis Anne Seaborn meet the Press. Learn to hate them, as we all have.” CJ closed her briefing book, with a smile. “That's all I have.”
Several of the reporters got out of their seats and swarmed Sam and the fascinated baby, whose blue eyes focused on the loud colors of their clothing. Her soft red hair barely covered her scalp and was held back with a cute headband with a rose.
CJ watched as Danny took her out of Sam's arms. Sam's face tightened in terror and his hands were just under Lexi to catch her if Danny dropped her. Danny took pity on Sam and handed her back as more people came up to stroke her soft baby skin. Her eyes went droopy and Sam backed away from the people, automatically reaching for the passafire that he carried in his pocket. CJ smiled, Sam was a good daddy.
@@
Mallory rushed into the emergency room, her arms loaded with Lexi. Leo met her near the lobby; taking Lexi from her, they started towards the doors of the hospital room.
“Sam, honey?” Mallory asked, as they walked in.
“I'm all right, honey. It's not too bad. Just a scratch.”
“Someone shot at you. It isn't just a scratch.”
“It's a flesh wound. I'm fine. Look.” Sam tipped his head back and closed his eyes touching each of his fingers to his nose.
“That isn't funny, Sam.” Mallory told him walking closer to the bed.
“I know, but look at me, nothing happened. I'm going to be fine; I just have to stay off my leg for a while.” Sam grabbed Mallory's hand, griping it tightly. “Okay? I'm fine.” Sam sponged at the tears on Mallory's cheeks. Mallory sobbed openly and leaned down to let Sam hold her.
They had tried to kill the President, like her mother had said, and Sam stood in the way.
“Mal, honey.” Sam rubbed at her back, his eyes closing in silent prayer. “I love you.”
“I love you too, you big old stupid target practice.” Mallory sniffled and lifted her head up from the hollow of Sam's neck. “And it's a good thing you're alive, because I'm not raising two kids on my own.”
“We only have one girl.” Sam reminded her.
“Surprise.” Mallory said with a laugh, as Sam's face registered shock, before creasing with a grin.
“That wasn't very nice.” With a quiet frown though, he looked at Mallory again. “How, exactly—“
“We're just lucky.”
“Again with the luck thing.” Sam smiled and kissed Mallory but jumped apart as Jenny McGarry stormed into the room.
“Oh thank god. You're alive.” Jenny walked up and hugged Sam, to the surprise of everyone in the room. “Don't you every do that again, do you understand me!” Jenny hit Sam in the shoulder with all her might and then turned back to Leo. “Let's give them a minute.” She pushed Leo and Lexi out the door, stopping only to glare at Sam. “I'm still not happy with you.” And with that she was gone.
“I think they gave me too many drugs. I could have sworn your mother just—“
“It took her long enough.” Mallory pulled a chair up next to him and sat down, his hand still gripped in hers.
“Your mom didn't just hug me.”
“Yes, she did.”
“Your mother hates me.”
“Yes, she does.”
“How does that work, exactly?”
“You want to look a gift horse in the mouth?”
Sam opened his mouth in reply and shut it. “Nope.”
@@
Sam and Mallory looked up from their place on the couch, the Sunday newspaper spread out around them.
“Get that, Sam.” Mallory ordered as she had whenever anyone knocked on the door on a Sunday.
“I've got it, Daddy.” Lexi bounded down the stairs, her red hair hanging in ringlets.
“What are you doing up? It's not even eleven.” Sam asked, examining his daughter. Her jeans with his dress shirt was modest, and a tad too sexy for his taste.
“The girls and I are going out to breakfast.” Lexi opened the door and waved her friends into the entryway while she dug on the coat rack for her father's old Navy Pea coat.
“Hey Mr. Seaborn.” They chorused together, laughing and smiling at him.
“Hey, girls.” Sam turned back to his daughter, not inclined to help her search. “You do realize it's time for brunch or lunch.”
“Yes, daddy.”
“And where will you be going?”
“IHOP.”
“Do you have your phone?”
“Yeah dad.”
“Are you going to the movies afterward to drool at that good for nothing popcorn boy?”
Lexi's face turned bright red. “MOM! How could you tell him?”
“CJ told me for your information.” Sam smiled at her and her giggling friends. He motioned his daughter closer. “I don't care that you drool, but just keep your hands and other assorted body parts from touching, understood, young lady?”
“Dad. I'm sixteen.”
“That's nice to know. I'll remember that next time you fall asleep on me.” He whispered. “To yourself, understood. Or I'll send your Uncle Toby after you.”
“Anything but Uncle Toby. I'll behave.”
“Good, now scat.”
“Thanks dad.” Lexi reached up kissed her dad's cheek and smiled at him before putting on her coat and taking off out of the house. Sam sighed and walked back to the couch.
“You did that to make me feel old.”
“She needs to know her dad isn't totally unhip to the ways of the young.”
“I pretty sure that unhip isn't a word that's used anymore.”
“Technicality.”
Sam looked at Mallory reclining on their couch, and looked at their living room over flowing from their family.
“You realize we have the house to ourselves?” Sam asked walking towards her.
“Not for long, Josh will bring Brian back in about an hour talking about being an outdoorsman and Brian will tell is how they went to the nearest four star resort.”
“We have an hour.”
Mallory paused to deliberate on the suggestion in Sam's eyes.
“Come on, Mal. Come make out with me in the kitchen.” Sam winked, tugging at her hand. They stopped at the knock on the door and headed that way. They opened it to see Josh and Brian counting bags.
“Hey Sam, Mal. Sorry we're home early, but we're real outdoorsmen. So we got up—“
“The hotel didn't have a pool or a sauna, but we still had a lot of fun.” Brian lugged his backpack and sleeping bag into house leaving a flabbergasted Josh on the stoop.
“That is so your kid, Sam. It's not even funny.” Josh sighed and handed the rest of the stuff to Sam.
@@
“This is so exciting.” Mallory snuggled into the embrace of her husband as they stood outside to see the inauguration of the latest President.
“It's just inauguration.” Sam replied hoping the painkillers would take affect soon; his wrists and fingers were killing him in this cold weather.
“Isn't this great?” Brian and his wife asked as they joined Sam and Mallory.
Carl, Lexi's husband leaned forward to answer his brother-in-law. “Your dad's fingers are bothering him.”
“Why do I bother hiding things from all of you?” Sam asked.
“You had me fooled you big ole stud.” Mallory leaned up to kiss him.
“Yuck Grandma, that's just nasty.” Cicely, Lexi's daughter, bumped against Sam's leg.
“Can you believe that Lexi's up there in booth somewhere covering this?” Mal asked him softly.
“I'm still trying to get over the fact she's a reporter. I'm pretty sure that CJ told her to hate the Press.”
“Sam, how many times do you complain about that?”
“Ummm.”
“Almost every time that Lexi's on TV.” Brain bumped his dad's shoulder.
“He loves it, and he knows it.” Mallory smiled up at Sam. “He did the happy dance when she got the Senior White House Correspondence post for MSNBC.”
“Is that what the neighbors were talking about when they saw him dancing in his underwear?” Diana, Brian's wife asked innocently. The family laughed as Sam blushed.
“I happy for my little girl.”
“See I told you. You so owe me Breakfast in bed.” Brian told his wife.
Sam looked at them in horror.
“Look there's Josh.” Mallory pointed out, as the Chief of Staff for the new Administration filed onto the stage.
Brian looked at the rest of his family. “One, two, three.”
“All right, UNCLE JOSH!” They all yelled at once. Josh looked in their direction and saw them waving frantically. He pointed to them and smiled.
“Can we go home now?” Cicely asked politely.
“Nope Sweetie, but how about you get on my shoulders so you can see?” Sam leaned down and ignored the creaks in his knees.
“Hey, Sam.” Sam turned slowly to see Danny Concannon walking up to them.
“Aren't you too old to be here, Danny?” Sam asked in a friendly tone.
“I'm not the one they call grandpa.” Danny settled in with Sam's family and looked out on the crowd. “So I saw your little girl in a control booth.”
“Senior White House Correspondent for MSNBC.” Sam said proudly.
“Must have perturbed you when she chose journalism.”
“He sighed and told her, 'this is what I get for loving you unconditionally.'” Brian told Danny with a grin.
“And what did he say when you told them you were going to be a media consultant?”
“The way he told us was this, 'Hey mom, hey dad. Well I'm a republican. Not really. I'm going to be an outdoorsmen. Not really, I'm joining Mandy Hampton's media consultant firm. Love you, Bye.'”
“Smooth.”
“Josh was in tears for months.” Sam confided. He straightened up as the new President-elect strode on to the podium. A hush fell over the crowd and Sam smiled. The real thing, his baby called her, the New President. Don't they all wish they were?
“And we must knock on the door of the new decade and tell them, our past has something to offer, just as their future lights the way.” The President's voice rang true and clear across the lawn, reaching the Seaborn clan as they supported both Lexi and their Uncle Josh.
“That was a good line, honey.” Mallory told him. Sam smiled; no one else knew that Josh convinced him to write one last inaugural speech as a freelance. No wonder his fingers hurt he had been typing until four this morning.
“Sometimes all it takes is a knock on the door.” Sam whispered to her, thankful she had answered his knock that night so long ago.
The Very End of the Series....Hope you enjoyed.
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